BMW Teases Airtouch Gesture-Based Infotainment Ahead of CES

At the last Consumer Electronics Show BMW revealed a gesture control system that employed a 3D sensor in the roof of a car to read hand movements made in front of the dashboard.

That appearance in Las Vegas was a tease for the system we'd get in the brand new 7 Series. At next month's CES BMW will showcase a "Vision Car" with a concept interior of the future that incorporates the evolution of the current gesture system. It is called Airtouch.

Permitting a wider variety of iDrive control, 3D sensors on the instrument panel read movements made with a flat hand so that driver or passenger can work their way through entertainment, navigation, and communication menus. Users can confirm actions with hand gestures, or with a button on the steering wheel or another in the passenger's door.